FROM THE POTRO, OLYMPIC FINALIST!
He traced everything he could and more Rafa Nadal. He saved the minibreak he kept until the end. He lifted the first match ball to the rest. But then, on serve, he made a mistake that meant defeat. He will have to fight for bronze against Nishikori. Read the match chronicle here.
(6-6) WE'RE GOING TO TIE-BREAK! It's amazing that this is going to be decided like this. What a semifinal agony! What a show!
(5-6) SAVE NADAL A TRIPLE BREAK FROM BREAK! It is absolutely miraculous what Rafa is getting. Whatever happens. This ensures at least the tie-break … Come on Rafa!
(5-5) AMAZING! CONTRABREAK OF RAFA IN WHITE! What stitches! What game! He has saved the impossible. But to win this you still have to row …
(5-4) BREAK DE DEL POTRO! Not even the hawk eye helped. What a moment! The Argentine will then take out to deprive Rafa Nadal of the Olympic final …
(4-4) Blank game for Del Potro. Very simple this time. We approach, if neither of them remedies it, to a possible outcome in sudden death …
(4-3) Keep going Nadal. Maintains the initiative. He knows that he has seen himself in even more complicated situations. That he has tennis on his racket to solve it.
(3-3) Balance the Del Potro scoreboard! We arrived at the equator of the set and this looks like an agonist ending, like practically all the matches that both have played in the whole tournament.
(2-3) SAVE RAFA TWO BREAK BALLS! It's amazing what these two players fight! Follow the Spanish ahead, one step closer … but in the absence of a break …
(2-2) Save El Potro with two incredible serves! Nadal pressed him again, forced the 'deuce', but when the Tandilense takes out the cannon it is impossible to fight back …
(1-2) Blank game for Nadal. The third set has started with a somewhat stronger Rafa. The pace has risen, aware of the historic opportunity to make an Olympic double …
(1-1) Save Del Potro a break ball! Nadal had the opportunity for the rest. He will continue to suffer. It is an agonizing duel, like all of Nadal in the tournament.
(0-1) Start sending Rafa in the third quarter. He wants to take the initiative to force Delpo's mistake as soon as possible. Take out your fist to celebrate it with rage!
THE SECOND SET OF THE POTRO IS CARRIED OUT !!!
He got 40-0 and took the second chance to close the set. We go to the third! But if Nadal respects the physicist, nobody develops better than him in these situations.
(5-4) TO THE RAFA LIMIT! Take advantage of the last service turn before being forced to break if you don't want the set to end here …
(5-3) Del Potro already touches the conquest of the set. He has only one left and if Nadal wants to avoid it he will have to work a lot …
(4-3) Nadal closes the game with an 'ace'. Hurry up your options, but to continue fighting the set you need a break from Del Potro's service.
(4-2) DelPo does not give up. He is aware that only by maintaining his service he has the set in his hand and can match the game.
(3-2) Nadal reacts. Now he had a comfortable game, which we had not seen for a long time. We will have to see if it is the beginning of his comeback in this second set.
(3-1) The Argentine consolidates the break. Nadal is making some unnecessary mistakes. We'll see if the Spanish tennis player can react …
(2-1) BREAK DE DEL POTRO! We had been warning him. Nadal had loosened the pace a bit since the close of the previous quarter. Touch again comeback …
(1-1) Easy now for Del Potro. The Argentine tennis player has started with a very positive inertia. We'll see if Rafa reacts …
(0-1) Rafa also starts up the second set. It was not an easy game, but Nadal demonstrates the great quality he is treasuring throughout the entire Olympic tournament.
FIRST SET FOR RAFA !!!
It closes with a break, at the first opportunity. Amazing what he has raised! It is one step closer to the final. Rafa Nadal continues to make history.
(5-6) Rafa solves a complicated situation! He forced Del Potro's deuce, but Nadal knew how to suffer to end up imposing himself once more.
(5-5) It cost Del Potro, but adds one more game. Each one will have one more opportunity with his service, and if none takes advantage of it we will go to sudden death.
(4-5) New blank game for Nadal. It is only one to close this sleeve, but you will have to do it to the rest. We see you in good shape …
(4-4) Match Del Potro again with unappealable serves. He wants to pull this resource to prevent scares like the previous set.
(3-4) COME ON RAFA! Third consecutive game of the Balearic tennis player, who for the first time in the game gets ahead. Touch endorse it and open the gap …
(3-3) RAFA BREAK! And he does it in white too! Spectacular Spanish who does not notice fatigue for now. What tournament you are doing!
(3-2) ANOTHER BLANK GAME FOR NADAL! With his serve he has already managed to sing. Now we need to do the rest to balance the game …
(3-1) Add and follow Del Potro. Rafa fights, but with the serve of the Argentine is being impossible. You will have to look for new resources …
(2-1) COME ON RAFA! Blank game! He returns it and debuts in the clash, but remember, a break continues below the Tandilense. We will have to continue paddling …
(2-0) BLANK FOR THE POTRO! Consolidates its break based on unappealable serves. Nadal has barely been able to subtract. We'll see if he wears the tiredness of the doubles.
(1-0) BREAK DE DEL POTRO! This starts with bad news for Nadal. He started taking the initiative, but the Argentine took two lashes with his drive to get ahead.
STARTS THE MATCH!!!
First take out Rafa Nadal, with the red shirt and white pants. Del Potro sports the classic light blue elastic from Argentina. Let's go there!
The 2016 Rio Olympic tournament continues to lead to spectacular duels. This Saturday we live the semifinal that faces the Spanish Rafa Nadal with the Argentine Juan Martín del Potro.
The doubles champion faces the 2012 London bronze and world number 1 executioner, Novak Djokovic, in an exciting duel in search of a place in the final.
Follow the game live from 19.00 hours.